Pivot for overhead doors



Aug. 14, 1951 w. ROCHFORD PIVOT FOR OVERHEAD DQORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1946 Inventor W/LL/AM Focl-irokn ,Z -M WW 3 H Attorneys mu w MN m 8 Q\ NJ 0% 0 a Q m M .m w w W. ROCHFORD PIVOT FOR OVERHEAD DOORS Aug. 14, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1946 WILLIAM POCHFORD Patented Aug. 14, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in bracing means therefor for overhead garage doors.

An object of the invention is to provide improvements in bracing means therefor for overhead garage doors, which construction eliminates the need of trusses to prevent the door from sagging when in upward position, lock, bumpers and door handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved suspension means therefor for overhead garage doors, which will permit its use for doors of varying width, due to the use of adjustable offset pipe arms for supporting the door in raised or lowered position.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotatable clamp for supporting adjustable offset pipe arms which will be secured to an overhead garage door for swingably supporting the same in open or closed position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved bracing device for overhead garage doors which will be highly efiicient in use, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

' In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved overhead garage door hardware shown attached to the side walls of a garage, the side walls being in horizontal section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the overhead garage door hangers in position in a garage and secured to the garage door, the side wall of the garage being shown in horizontal section.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 33 in Figure 1 and showing a truck in dotted lines in the garage;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the overhead garage door hangers with biasing spring attached, and a portion of the garage door being in section to show the method of attaching the hanger arms to the door;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the pipe arm clamping and supporting bracket;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through a modified form of pivoted arm supporting clamp;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the bearing pivot for the arm supporting brackets; I

Figure 10 is a side elevation, partly in sectio of the bearing pivot for the arm supporting brackets;

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line Il-|l of Figure 4, and

Figure 12 is a view taken on the line l2-l2 of Figure 4. I

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a pair of similarly constructed rotatably supported pipe arm supporting brackets generally denoted by the reference numeral I, adapted to be supported on the opposite inside wall 2 and 3 of a garage. The garage illustrated will include studding 4 and siding 5, and a door opening 6 in which the overhead door I is adapted to be positioned when in lowered or closed position.

The bracket supporting boards 8 will be secured between two adjacent studs 4 by means of the nails or fasteners 9. The preferred form of the bracket will include a bearing pivot having a base It] secured to the board 8 by means of the bolts II, and formed with the outwardly extending pivot shank or pin l2, which is formed adjacent its outer end with the annular bearing shoulder l3 and reduced terminal end M. The outer end of the pivot shank or pin I2 is provided with. a threaded socket l5 adapted to receive the locking bolt I6, which in turn supports the bracket. engaging locking washer I1.

The rotatable pipe arm clamping and support-- ing brackets l comprise the cooperating clamping members l8 and I9 which are formed with the:

parallel extending grooves 20 and 2! for receiving the inner ends of the offset pipe arms 22 and. 23 which are connected to the garage door 1; for supporting the same. The bolts 24 will ex-- tend through aligned apertures in the brackets: or clamping members l8 and IQ for clamping: the pipe arms 22 and 23 in fixed position therein. The locking bolt l6 and Washer I! will be used! to hold the parts of the brackets in position while the bolts 24 are being secured in place.

A modified form of clamping brackets is shown in Figure 7, and includes a flanged base 40 which supports the inner of the two similar clamping members 21 and 28 in which are formed the parallel extending pipe arm receiving grooves 29 and 30, and the aligned threaded centrally disposed apertures 25 and 26. The clamping members are adapted to be held in place by means of the threaded bolt 3| extending through the threaded aperture 25 in the outer member and intermediate their ends, and terminate in theofiset parallel extending outer ends which are" externally threaded as at 38, and are adapted to extend through apertures formed through the door 1. Suitable reinforcing and backing blocks 39 are provided for the outer end of "each arm. 22 and 23, said blocks being formed with threaded central apertures through which the arms 22 and 23 extend, and are also apertured to receive the four bolts 4| extending through the block and the garage door 1.

A sleeve t2 having an eye 43 and secured to each upper pipe arm 22 on the opposite sides of the garage, and supports a section of chain 44 and a connected heavy coil spring 45 which "is secured in an eye It "formed in the offset plates "l1 secured by the bolts 48 to the anchoring plate It secured to adjacent studs 4. The s ring will be adjustably tensioned to permit the easy open; ing'and swinging of the garage door to its uppern ost oropen position, and vice versa.

The use of regular round pipe stock and bend:- ing the same to provide the o'fise't outer parallel door attaching ends provides "for ready and emc'ient turning of the arms to the proper position to support garage doors of varying width. The use of a'n'y other arm construction other than round pipe will not permit an offset construction to be rotated to accommodate the use of the arms to support doors of different width.

Furthermore, the onset construction of the pipe arms provides for the turning of the pipe'arms 22 and 23 in their hinges or brackets, to aiiow for the o'iiset in the construction of the gara e door; opening without requiring fabrication on the 'jeb In the event one side temp is out of vertical alinement with the other side ia nb, the garage name as new and desire to secure by Letters -l atent,of the United States is:

1. A bracin device for overhead garage doors including 'a bracket support adapted to be secured to the inside wall of a garage, said bracket support consisting of a pivot plate, a pair of cooperating clamping members mounted on said pivot plate and having oppositely disposed, Ion

gitu inal com lementary grooves in said elari-ip ing members, longitudinal-1 y adjustable tubular having one pairor ends in said rooves, said arms being round in cross section and Said grooves defining sockets wherein said arms are mounted for rotative adjustment about the lon-v gitudinal axes of the sockets, secured by said clamping members, and backing blocks for securement on a garage door, the other ends of said arms beihgterminally and rotatively adjustably secured to said blocks.

2 The combination of claim 1, wherein said tubular arms consist of a longitudinal "central portion and oppositely bent parallel end portions, said other ends of Said arms being thre'adedly secured in said backing blocks.

7 WILLIAM R'OGHFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in the fil f this at n UNITED STATES PATENTS 

